Christmas Tips for Dogs

Even the most social of all dogs can be overwhelmed during the noise and chaos of xmas and new year, especially if you have lots of people over for Christmas.

During the hectic times such as people arriving and leaving have a secure area or crate etc where you can secure your dog, with a yummy chew or filled kong. Leave a TV on to masks sounds etc.

Dogs need to have somewhere to go for a break from the activity, during the day.

Do not allow children t hug or kiss your dog, even a dog who tolerates this under normal circumstances, may not tolerate this from strangers.

Signs that your dog is feeling uncomfortable and stressed with the situation are:-

Licks his lips, shows the white of his eyes, turns his head away when a child or adult is patting him, intervene immediately and calmly and quietly take your dog away.

Look for signs of your dog trying to walk away, or hide under furniture.

Supervise at all times. Prevention is the key.

Try to keep to your normal routine and only feed him his normal food and have water available

Be aware that cooked Turkey, Chicken and duck bones are bad for dogs.

Chocolate, Macadamia nuts, Onions, Raisins and Grapes, alcohol are all toxic to dogs

Small toys can be a big hazard for some dogs/puppies and please do not dress your dog up especially if it is a hot day, they can suffer heat stress very quickly. He/she is a dog please respect that.

If you have a puppy please make sure all electrical cables are safely out of the way, tinsel is bad for dogs as well as breakable xmas decorations. You may need to fence off the xmas tree or just have a small one on a table for this year.